Robinho Good - Tevez Bad

Robinho is set to leave Manchester City and it seems he won’t be much missed, even by the fans who idolised him just a year ago.

Yet, as a lifelong supporter of lost causes, I’m going to attempt a defence of the Brazilian as he puts his seat in the upright position and stows his tray table on the way back to Sao Paulo.

There are two sides to every story, a fact never more apparent than in the contrasting treatment of Robinho and Carlos Tevez.

Both are high-maintenance South American flair players. Both got into a contract dispute with a big club, and both ended up joining City and getting paid a massive sum of money. Both have shady advisors and both have blown hot and cold for each of their clubs.

However, the public perception of the two could hardly be more different.

Tevez’s superb goalscoring form makes him pretty much immune to criticism at the moment, but it has not always been like this.

Last season he scored just five Premier League goals in 29 games, then had the temerity to get the hump when Fergie and a certain moustachioed right-back said he wasn’t worth £25 million.

Yet Tevez has always been looked on sympathetically - primarily because of his 90-minute headless-chicken dashes that qualify him for honorary Englishman status - while Robinho is viewed with suspicion and disdain.

Here, a look at a number of real-life situations where you can compare how the media and public have reacted to each player.

1- Leaves bigger club to join Manchester City
Robinho: He’s going for the money, isn’t he? Thinks he’s joining United.
Tevez: He’s going to prove himself, not too proud to take a step down.

2 - Slow to learn English
Robinho: Shows he doesn’t intend to hang around long.
Tevez: His English is better than your Spanish.

3 - Scores most of his goals against ‘lesser’ teams
Robinho: Flat-track bully, big-game bottler.
Tevez: Always gives 100 per cent, no matter who the opposition.

4 - Argues with referee
Robinho: Shows he is undisciplined and frustrated with English football.
Tevez: Shows his unquenchable passion and how much he wants to win the game .

5 - Performs poorly when played out of position
Robinho: Not prepared to work for the team, needs everything built around him.
Tevez: Manager selling him short by prioritising other big-name players.

6 - Constantly links himself with transfers to big clubs.
Robinho: Brazenly whoring himself out to the highest bidder.
Tevez: Blame his advisors and those nasty MSI chaps.

7 - Says he wants to go back to South America
Robinho: Can’t handle the pressure of playing in Europe.
Tevez: Boy from the barrios hasn’t forgotten his roots.

8 - Aggravates a pre-existing injury while on international duty.
Robinho: Taking the mickey, disrespecting the fans who pay his wages.
Tevez: Deeply patriotic, just loves playing football.

9 - Gives ill-advised radio interview in home country
Robinho: What an idiot. Hasn’t he heard of translators?
Tevez: Refreshing honesty, he’s speaking from the heart.

10 - Taunts former club after scoring against them.
Guest villain Emmanuel Adebayor: Scum of the earth, pure and simple.
Tevez: Take that, Gary Neville, you chupamedias!

All told, it is a massive case of double standards.

A popular view of Robinho is that he was signed only to show City were serious about competing with the best, and to attract top players.

In effect, he was a £32m worm, impaled on the end of a hook and dangled into the murky water of the transfer market to attract bigger, juicier catches.

He was the most expensive piece of bait in history, and now he has served his purpose he can be safely fed to a lurking seagull.

It is a neat theory, but a stupid one, as it assumes that Robinho has nothing to contribute to a football team.

A quick look at the CV quickly dispels this myth.

He was a key member of the Santos team that won two Brazilian championships, their first since the 1960s.

He won two Liga titles in three years with Real Madrid, and was outscored only by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raul during that time.

He has been a regular for Brazil since 2003, even under Dunga’s substance-over-style regime, and has 71 caps to his name.

The only place he has not touched silverware is City - perhaps understandable given they have won nothing since 1976.